Sleeping bag with replaceable air mattress

ABSTRACT

A sleeping structure includes a sleeping bag having a top layer having a top layer opening edge and a top layer sealed edge, and a bottom layer having a bottom layer opening edge and a bottom layer sealed edge. A first fastener releasably fastens the top layer opening edge and the bottom layer opening edge at a first attachment site. An enclosure bag is releasably coupled to the bottom layer and defines a mouth. An air mattress having a perimeter and including an inflatable portion is removably inserted into the mouth.

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.09/972,212 filed Oct. 4, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,414, and claimingpriority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/238,660 filedOct. 4, 2000, all applications incorporated herein by reference and allpriorities claimed.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to camping equipment and moreparticularly to sleeping bags with integral air mattresses.

BACKGROUND ART

Millions of people worldwide go camping each year to experience theoutdoors away from the comforts of city life. Although part of theattraction of camping is “roughing it”, there is a certain minimal levelof comfort which many people like to maintain in order to have apleasant experience. Sleeping is one activity which is hard to performwell without such a minimal comfort level. The surface upon which acamper sleeps can be very important in determining the level of comfort.In order to isolate the sleeper from the hardness and irregularities ofthe ground, it has become the practice of many campers to use an airmattress, which is basically a thick flat rubber balloon which can beinterposed between the sleeper's sleeping bag and the ground.

There may be certain problems associated with using a sleeping bag witha separate air mattress. As a sleeping person turns in his sleep, thebag, which may be made of nylon or some other somewhat slipperymaterial, may tend to slide off of the air mattress. In response tothese problems there have been attempts to make a sleeping bag with anintegral air mattress, so that they will not separate during sleep-timemovements. However, there may be additional problems with sleeping bagwhich has an air mattress permanently attached. As with all balloon-likestructures, punctures are a danger. Although an air mattress may bepatched to repair punctures, there may come a time when further repairis not worth the effort, and it is desirable to replace the mattress.For mattresses which are integrally formed, or permanently attached,replacement may be difficult without destroying the overall equipment.

Also there may situations, where a removable air mattress would bedesirable from a weight standpoint, or for use in cabins, where the bagis useful as a blanket, but an air-cushion is not necessary.

Thus there is a need for a sleeping bag which includes an attachable airmattress, but which has an air mattress which is easily detachable, andreplaceable in case of damage, or when an air-cushion feature is notdesired.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide asleeping bag with attached air mattress.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air mattress which isdetachable from the sleeping bag.

And another object of the invention is to provide an air mattress whichis replaceable by another of its kind when desired.

Briefly, one preferred embodiment of the present invention is a sleepingbag with a replaceable air mattress, where the sleeping bag includes atop layer and a bottom layer. The top layer has a top layer opening edgeand a top layer sealed edge, and the bottom layer has a bottom layeropening edge and a bottom layer sealed edge. The top layer opening edgeand the bottom layer opening edge are releasably fastened along someportion of their length by a first fastener which is attached at a firstattachment site. The bottom layer further includes a second attachmentsite for an upper portion of a second fastener. The air mattress has aperimeter and includes an inflatable portion and a peripheral extension.The peripheral extension includes a third attachment site for a lowerportion of a second fastener. Upper and lower portions of the secondfastener releasably fasten the air mattress to the sleeping bag.

An advantage of the present invention is that the sleeping bag may notrequire padding and heat insulation on its lower surface, as the airmattress may provide padding and heat insulation.

A further advantage is that in standard manufacturing practice for airmattresses, a bordering strip of material is included beyond theinflation area of the air mattress, and this bordering strip is usuallytrimmed off. However, this same bordering strip may be used as anattachment site for detachably fastening the air mattress to thesleeping bag, and thus eliminating a fabrication step.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome clear to those skilled in the art in view of the description ofthe best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and theindustrial applicability of the preferred embodiment as described hereinand as illustrated in the several figures of the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The purposes and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description in conjunction with the appendeddrawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a front isometric view of a first preferred embodiment ofthe sleeping bag with replaceable air mattress of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a rear isometric view of a first preferred embodiment ofthe sleeping bag with replaceable air mattress of the present invention;

FIGS. 3A-C show isometric views of the assembly of a second preferredembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3D is a side view of the second preferred embodiment of thesleeping bag with replaceable air mattress shown in FIGS. 3A-3C; and

FIG. 3E is a front view of the second preferred embodiment of thesleeping bag with replaceable air mattress shown in FIGS. 3A-3C.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a sleeping bag withreplaceable air mattress. As illustrated in the various drawings herein,and particularly in the view of FIG. 1, a form of this preferredembodiment of the inventive device is depicted by the general referencecharacter 10.

FIG. 1 illustrates a sleeping bag with replaceable air mattress 10,which generally includes a sleeping bag 12 and an air mattress 14 havinga perimeter 15 around an inflatable portion 18, this inflatable portionbeing defined as an enclosure which is sealable to contain pressurizedair. The perimeter 15 has a peripheral extension 16 around portions ofat least two sides of the inflatable portion 18. The peripheralextension 16 is preferably not designed to contain pressurized air, andis, in this preferred embodiment, a flat flap, or flange 17, which maybe some of the residual material, sometimes referred to as “flash”, leftover from the manufacturing process. During fabrication, an air mattressis usually formed by taking two sheets of material, and heat-sealing anair-tight seam surrounding the inflatable portion. It is generallyimpractical to have the seam located precisely at the edge of the sheetsof material, since minor misplacement or mis-alignment of either sheetcan mean that the seam is improperly fashioned and thus an air-leak canoccur. In order to avoid this, the seam is usually located inwardly fromthe edges, thus leaving a residue of flash or a flange which is thengenerally trimmed off. The present invention 10 makes use of this flange17, avoiding the step of trimming, and thus simplifying manufacture.

The sleeping bag 12 includes a top layer 20, which preferably includesthermal material which retains body heat well, such as batting, down,polyester fill material, etc. in the manner of conventional sleepingbags. Beneath this is a bottom layer 22, which may include thermalmaterial as well, but in this preferred embodiment does not, since theattached air mattress 14 will provide thermal insulation from theground. It is thus possible to reduce the weight of the overall sleepingbag 10 by the weight of the omitted thermal layer which would otherwisebe used in the bottom layer 22. The top layer 20 has an opening edge 24and a sealed edge 26, and the bottom layer 22 also has an opening edge28 and a sealed edge 30. The opening edges 24, 28, as the name implies,include an entry opening 32 through which the user enters when he is touse the sleeping bag 12. The opening edges 24, 28 therefore includeportions of a first fastener 34, in this preferred embodiment, a firstzipper 36, which closes the opening 32, by sealing together the openingedges 24, 28. The opening edge 28 of the bottom layer 22 thus includes afirst attachment site 37 for the lower portion 35 of the first fastener34, and additionally includes a second attachment site 38 for the upperportion 39 of a second fastener 40, in this case a second zipper 42. Theperipheral extension 16 or flange 17 includes a third attachment site 44for the lower portion 41 of the second fastener 40. The upper portion 39and lower portion 41 of the second fastener 40 thus attach the bottomlayer 22 opening edge 28 to the flange 17 of the air mattress 14. Thefirst and second fasteners 34, 40 can be any of a number of conventionalfasteners such as Velcro®, hook and eye fasteners, snaps, etc. Asreferred to above, a major advantage of this invention is that instandard manufacturing practice for air mattresses, a bordering strip ofmaterial is included beyond the inflation area of the air mattress, andthis bordering strip is usually trimmed off. However, for the presentinvention 10, this same bordering strip, denoted here as the peripheralextension 16 or flange 17, may be used as the third attachment site 44for detachably fastening the air mattress 14 to the sleeping bag 12, andthus eliminating a fabrication step.

FIG. 2 illustrates the sleeping bag with air mattress 10 as seen fromthe opposite side. The sealed edges 26, 30 of the top layer 20 andbottom layer 22 are shown as being permanently sealed together. Thesealed edge 26, 30 of either the top layer 20 or the bottom layer 22,includes a fourth attachment site 45 for an upper portion 49 of a thirdfastener 46, in this case a third zipper 48. The second portion 50 ofthe peripheral extension 16 or flange 17 includes a fifth attachmentsite 47 for the lower portion 51 of the third fastener 46. The upperportion 49 and lower portion 51 of the third fastener 46 thus attach thesealed edge 26, 30 to the second portion 50 of the peripheral extension16 or flange 17 of the air mattress 14.

It is possible that the second peripheral extension portion 50 isactually a continuation of the peripheral extension 16 seen in theprevious figure, which has followed the perimeter 15 of the air mattress14 around to this side. It is also possible that the second zipper 42and the third zipper 48 are also continuous, and merely portions of asingle zipper that extends around one side, across the foot 52 of thesleeping bag 12 and up the other side.

Thus the second zipper 42 and the third zipper 48, (or the second zipper42 alone, if it is continuous to the second peripheral extension portion50), can be unzipped to detach the air mattress 14 from the sleeping bag12 whenever it is desired to replace the air mattress because of leaks.It may also be removed in situations where an air mattress is notrequired, as when the sleeping bag is being used more as a blanket, andbottom thermal isolation and cushion support are not necessary.

The sleeping bag with replaceable air mattress 10 may also include anoptional pillow 54 which could be fabricated as either a part of thesleeping bag 12, or as part of the air mattress 14.

FIGS. 3A-C illustrate a second preferred embodiment 100 in which the airmattress 14 is removable from an enclosure bag 56. In this case, theenclosure bag 56 may be permanently attached to the sleeping bag 12, andthe second zipper 42 opens an enclosure mouth 60 to allow the airmattress 14 to be inserted. The second zipper 42 is then resealed. It isalso possible that the sleeping bag top layer 20 and bottom layer 22 aredetachable from the enclosure bag 56, in order to allow it to be washedor removed for weight considerations.

FIG. 3D is a side view of the second preferred embodiment 100 as shownin FIGS. 3A-3C, showing the air mattress 14 partially inserted into theenclosure mouth 60. FIG. 3E is a front view of the second preferredembodiment 100. The second zipper 42, as shown in FIG. 3E, is partiallyopen and defines the enclosure mouth 60. As shown in FIG. 3E, the entryopening 32 is closed by the fastener 34.

There may also be optional elastic loops 58 which are used to retain thesleeping bag 100 in a rolled configuration. These may also be used withthe first embodiment 10 described above.

While various embodiments have been described above, it should beunderstood that they have been presented by way of example only, and notlimitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of a preferred embodiment shouldnot be limited by any of the above described exemplary embodiments, butshould be defined only in accordance with the following claims and theirequivalents.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present sleeping bag with replaceable air mattress 10 is well suitedfor application on camping trips and over-night outings.

The sleeping bag 12 includes a top layer 20 and a bottom layer 22. Thetop layer opening edge 24 and the bottom layer opening edge 28 arereleasably fastened along some portion of their length by a firstfastener 34 which is attached at a first attachment site 37. The bottomlayer 22 further includes a second attachment site 38 for a upperportion 39 of a second fastener 40. The air mattress has a perimeter 15and includes an inflatable portion 18 and a peripheral extension 16. Theperipheral extension 16 includes a third attachment site 44 for a lowerportion 41 of a second fastener 40. Upper 39 and lower portions 41 ofthe second fastener 40, preferably a zipper 42, releasably fasten theair mattress 14 to the sleeping bag 12.

In use, the air mattress 14 can be easily released from the sleepingbag, when it is necessary to replace it, or if it is to be used insituations where an air mattress is not required, as when the sleepingbag is being used more as a blanket, and bottom thermal isolation andcushion support are not necessary.

Since the attached air mattress 14 will provide thermal insulation fromthe ground, thermal material may not be needed in the bottom layer 22.Thus, it is possible to reduce the weight of the overall sleeping bag 10by the weight of the omitted thermal layer which would otherwise be usedin the bottom layer 22.

The industrial applicability of this invention is also enhanced becauseit is standard practice in manufacturing air mattresses that a borderingstrip of material is included beyond the inflation area of the airmattress, and this bordering strip is usually trimmed off. However, forthe present invention, this same bordering strip, denoted here as theperipheral extension 16 may be used as the third attachment site 44 fordetachably fastening the air mattress 14 to the sleeping bag 12, andthus eliminating a fabrication step.

For the above, and other, reasons, it is expected that the sleeping bagwith replaceable air mattress 10 of the present invention will havewidespread industrial applicability. Therefore, it is expected that thecommercial utility of the present invention will be extensive and longlasting.

1. A sleeping structure comprising: a sleeping bag comprising: a toplayer having a top layer opening edge and a top layer sealed edge; and abottom layer having a bottom layer opening edge and a bottom layersealed edge; a first fastener releasably fastening said top layeropening edge and said bottom layer opening edge at a first attachmentsite; an enclosure bag defining a mouth; a second fastener releasablyfastening said enclosure bag to said sleeping bag; and an air mattressincluding an inflatable portion, said air mattress removably insertedinto said mouth.
 2. A sleeping structure in accordance with claim 1wherein said second fastener releasably fastens said bottom layer tosaid enclosure bag.
 3. A sleeping structure in accordance with claim 2wherein said sleeping bag is detachable from said enclosure bag.
 4. Asleeping structure in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a thirdfastener sealing said mouth such that said air mattress is containedwithin said mouth.